The Rainbow on the Wall
by Jirubee
Summary: Coping with the death of his young wife, Miroku and his daughter Mayu begin to return to a normal life; work, changes, and a new daycare. After meeting a timid employee of the daycare, he begins to fill in the holes in his heart and erase her scars. M for mortality, situations, and language.


**AN:** EDITS FOR SUMMER BY THE BAY ARE BEING POSTED TONIGHT. I've been pretty busy and the laptop had be absconded for my honey's job, so I'll be posting those in a bit. FINALLY.

I've been writing this off and on for a little while now and I really enjoy it. I don't know how well everyone else will, seeing as the subject matter is fairly raw and something that I've gone through in a degree. One of my close friends passed away when we were teenagers, and most of my family. Now, as I'm dealing with the loss of my mother; not death, but by her own choice and her new life.

I don't know why I felt like sharing, but there's something that connects us all and it really makes you think about the things that you've overlooked and the experiences you've gone through. All of these things make us into the people that we are, or that we are going to be.

I'm a better person for what I've been through and put myself through. I hope that this doesn't offend anyone, or anything of that nature. It's just a warning that if you do not like reading realistic material, as far as coping with the loss of a loved one, please don't read it.

Feedback is always appreciated, never expected. Thank you.

~Jiru

_The Rainbow on the Wall_

**The Widower**

It was still in the old shrine. The autumn lit the city on fire and the hill, in which the home sat in despair, was being blow apart by the cutting wind. Miroku brushed a hand over his forlorn face and held his dry mouth for a moment as he sat at the Western style table.

His daughter, Mayu, was eating her bowl of cereal as silent as when she was asleep. He left his glasses next to his paper and had yet to lace up the tie around his neck. He was more concered with staring at the golden band wrapped around his finger to care about much else.

It gleamed in the light, the only one on in the house, and made him dissolve into his chair. Mayu looked at him with bright eyes and with a small voice told him she loved him. She was no more than four and was about to head for her first day of daycare.

Clearing his head, her father reached across the table and took her hand lightly. A weak smile, still full of love and compassion, spread across his lips. "Are you ready to go honey?" He asked softly, finding her hesitating to answer him.

"I want to stay home with mommy." She said with a heavy frown weighing her cheeks and making her pert pig tails seem to droop.

Recoiling his hand, he quickly knotted his noose and pulled on his suit jacket, neatly butoning it up as high as he could. "We'll go talk to her before we leave, okay?" Miroku replied, pushing himself away from the table to place her empty bowl in the sink.

Following him, the tiny girl stood on her toes reaching for a plush pink coat on the counter. He aptly wrapped the warm fleece around her, zipping her up to the nose and putting on her favorite bunny hat. This was a big day for the both of them and he didn't realize that it would be this hard for him to let her go.

Next to the door, he had left her new Hello Kitty backpack on the arm of the sofa as he tied her little white shoes. Together, they locked up their home and headed around a cement pathway, once littered with lavish greenery, to a small corner of the property. It was outlined by a diminutive white fence and a marker sitting coldly on the ground.

Miroku knelt down and sat Mayu on his knees as they talked to his beloved wife and her mother. Kaguya had passed away only a few months before and it had left them both confused and reeling over what to do with themselves. Mayu hadn't truly understood what had happened, but she knew that she wasn't going to see her mother anymore.

It had been hard financially after missing so much work, and hiring babysitters that weren't as keen to the situation as he liked. He had stopped giving tours to their old home and let his sister take over that duty when she was available. More often than not, Kagome was the one who took care of the girl, but after she found out she was expecting she was pretty much stuck at home.

Since he decided to go back to work full time, the man had called about a million daycares and agencies until he found a suitable one close to his job. It wasn't overrun like most and was reputable. Taking the girl's hand after they blew kisses to the grave and told Kaguya about Mayu's big day, they walked down the flourish of breezy steps to the sidewalk.

The cold was crisp and smelled of cinnamon that morning. It was comforting enough to be getting away from the bedraggled house and breath the burning chill into his nose. Mayu was like a rotund ball, waddling in her warm coat as he stopped at a cart to buy her a treat for being such a big girl.

The girl happily drank on her hot apple cider as the leaves crunched beneath her feet. Near the end of the historical district, there was a turbulence of pedestrians and whistling cabs blowing passed the intersection.

Miroku looked like the majority, tucked into his expensive suit and neatly cut hair. A few shops stood in between him and the daycare. Mayu was looking at the petshop, standing infront of the newly placed puppies in the window and smiled toothily at them.

After a moment or two of protest, she finally dragged along and ended up standing infront of a large rented space with neatly written calligraphy and bright colors. Miroku looked in the decorated window, filled with hand prints and finger paintings, to see about ten children sitting in a circle.

He as about to open the door when he saw a tall, red headed woman wave her arm as she pulled it back, inviting them inside. She was robust and saved them from the cold that muddied their cheeks with a ruddy glow. "Come in! You'll freeze out there! Is this Mayu-chan?" The woman asked, kneeling down to take her backpack.

The little girl hid behind Miroku's leg and watched the curly haired woman reach for her coat. "This is a cute backpack, daddy did a good job, huh?" She continued, leading them to the bright yellow half-moon desk in a red room. "My name is Ayame, she said, hanging the backpack on the hooks with the rest. "Most of the little ones call me Miss Yaya." She laughed.

Miroku smiled crookedly at her and nudged Mayu. "Honey, I've got to go to work, alright?" He said leaning down to place a kiss atop her head.

Mayu burst into tears, wrapping her hands into the smooth fabric of his trousers. "No. Stay with me, daddy." She whimpered, rubbing her running nose against his thigh. The man's heart broke all over again as he sighed, brushing the bitter tears away from her helpless face.

"I'll be back this afternoon. Don't you want to play and paint me some pretty pictures to hang up?" He said softly, soothing her with his smooth voice.

Ayame let them be for a moment and reached onto the desk for a cookie she had gotten from the breakroom. "I'll share it with you if you come play with me." She perked her thin eye brows and watched the little girl look at her father with unease.

"She's gonna take care of you and you can make some friends, okay?" He cooed, patting her back.

After a few minutes, Mayu resigned and reached for Ayame's hand and she picked her up as Miroku waved on his way ou the door. He stood there, watching the woman in the turtleneck slip off his daughter's coat and swing her hand as she held it, happily taking her into the main room with the other children.

He watched her sit down as another woman came into the room, holding a mound of construction paper and tinsel. She was smiling brightly and his stomach sank a little as she started speaking to Mayu. The four year old was given a hug and her own paper and a marker. He supposed that she was in good enough hands and would know for sure by the end of the day.

On this way to his office, about three blocks down, he saw the high rise sparkling in the cool sun as he entered the revolving door with a certain nervousness. The elaborate foyer was overcome by white marble and golden chandielers; so much so that his eyes hurt.

The receptionist was a bit surprised to see him and tried to start a little conversation, but it quickly fizzled as he floated upstairs to his floor. His coworkers were almost silent as they saw him enter, respectably leaving him alone as he readjusted.

His cubicle was smack dab in the center of the room and littered with photos of he and his small family. A grimace hit his face as he violently slapped on his computer and immediately began skimming over the fiances.

One of his coworker's, Tokumaru Koga, leaned back from his desk and smiled at him. "It's good to see you back," He said, nodding at Miroku.

When he pushed his glasses down, Miroku sent the man a jaded look and sighed a little. "Yeah, it's nice to be out of the house. Mayu is at her first day of daycare. I'm kind of nervous." He said, clicking on his keyboard.

Koga brushed his fingers over the stubble on his chin and eyed his blue screen. "Which one does she go to?" He asked, furrowing his brows at an obvious system error.

Miroku noticed out of the corner of his eye that Koga had finally caved and yet off his long hair, which was sorely looked down upon in the industry. "Almost Home." He said, jotting down some notes.

The other man's face lit up, "That's great! My girlfriend's been working there for a little over a year now and she says it's great."

Miroku paused his work and leaned back in his chair again, watching Koga sip on his coffee. "Yeah? That's actually really helpful to know that. Is she that pretty red head?"

"You know me, don't you?" The gruff man chided, sighing when his computer came back to life. "Have you heard from InuYasha?" He asked idly, hoping that his day wasn't going to be as lackluster as this relentlessly awkward morning.

Miroku shrugged and sipped on the remains of his now cold cider. "Not lately. Kagome been's pretty sick and on bed-rest. I imagine that's where he's been. I know that he had to deal with a lot, recently, though."

Koga let his bright gaze fallen upon the keyboard and the assortment of girlish troll dolls that he'd promised Ayame he would keep on his desk, along with a half eaten energy bar. "Well, you know if you ever need anything, or want to have some time alone, Ayame and I would be happy to keep Mayu for you." He offered gently.

Miroku actually was touched by the offer, seeing as how Koga was generally not the easiest person to deal with on a good day. He was a bit feisty and the fact that his girlfriend seemed to be good with children, and seemed sweet, was a bit grounding. "I'll keep that in mind, and thank you." He replied earnestly, feeling the man's hand pat him on the back, silently showing his understanding.

After that, the day was boring, and filled with thinking. And thinking too much was the last thing that Miroku needed. At some point, he could no longer bear to see Kaguya smiling at him and pulled down the pictures. He thumbed over them and tucked them away in the drawer, safe and sound.

He wondered about his daughter and the day she was having and fought the urge to call the daycare. They probably got that a lot, but it was safe to say that this was the first time he had ever been so nervous about leaving her.

Maybe it was the fact that he was finally getting back on his feet and not letting Kaguya's death keep him bound to their home. He was a subtle man to begin with, and now he seemed almost hollow without the concept of family to make him that way. It was all he had ever wanted, and it wasn't supposed to end up this way.

He was thankful to still have his daughter and his home, thanks to his sister and InuYasha helping him out when he desperately needed it. Sighing, the man traced his fingers over the phone and eventually gave up and slumped his head down on his desk.

The day was almost over and he could take the girl home and read to her and play ponies or something. Actually, he mused as he pinched at the bridge of his nose, he would take her out for Pizza-la-kun and buy her a puppy.

That was what he would do.

And as those last few hours dragged on for him, Mayu was happily sitting in a bright blue chair, fingers covered in various colors of paint. She decided she liked the smell of the finger paint and rubbed some on her nose, in which Ayame had scolded her - as mildly as you can be scolded.

She ate her bento and, her new friend, Shippo's ginger slices. They sat together and she drew a unicorn on his freckled cheeks with a magic marker. She was laughing, content to be around other children instead of the confines of her house.

After her daddy had left, another lady had come in and brought a bunch of brightly colored paper and shiny pipe-cleansers and googly eyes to make butterflies. She had been so pretty that Mayu had instantly called her a princess and earned herself a ballerina sticker.

Sango loved flattery, especially from children. They never really lied and when she got called a princess, well, there were rewards to be had and snacks to be given. She'd introduced herself to Mayu and the other children squealed at the top of her lungs when she came back from errands.

The little boys always fought over her and Ayame, sometimes Eri when she came by after her classes for evening care. Yet, they always ended up choosing Ayame because her hair was as pretty as a red crayon.

Mayu enjoyed both of them, but her favorite was Sango. She had long dark hair like her mother's and dark eyes that glistened in the bright white lights. Her smile made her feel okay and she picked out her favorite movie to watch since she was new.

By the time the day had ended, and the streets were filled with commuters, Mayu saw her daddy come in after the other parents had picked up everyone but her friend. She was sitting on the nap mats with him, drawing a portrait of him to hang on his wall because "He will never find a more stunning piece of art". She'd said.

Ayame greeted the man and put her hands on her hips as he walked through the threshold; begotten and worn down by the day.

"Koga called me a bit ago. He said that you worked with him." She beamed, white teeth exposed in a wide grin. "That's great!" She said, "I'm glad that you let us keep Mayu. She's been so good and she's made a little boyfriend." Pointing to the corner of the room, Miroku sighed in relief at the way she licked her hand and rubbed his face.

"Well, she certainly takes after me with how I was with women." He laughed, genuinely laughed. Those little pig tails of hers bounced as she shot up when she saw him, leaving Shippo frowning, playing with the buttons on his overalls.

"Daddy!" She cried at the top of her lungs, lunging into his legs. The man wrapped his arms around her as another woman, the woman he had seen earlier in the day plucked her coat and pack from the rack behind the desk. "That's Shippo! He's my boyfriend. We're going to get married and have seven kids and-"

"No." Miroku retorted and raised his brows at his girl. "You can get married but you aren't having children until you're thirty. Okay?"

The girl seemed like she was thinking it over when Shippo decided to teeter over.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to get started now if we're gonna have ten kids." The boy rasped, finding that his brutal honesty was quite absurd for a five year old.

Sango leaned over the counter, trying not to crush the paper in her hand and laughed until she snorted. Ayame and Miroku looked over towards her with wide eyes. "Are you alright?" Ayame asked, seeing her waving her long arms.

"Yes." She breathed, "Yes, I'm fine." Sango said, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes. "Forgive me. I haven't heard something that..." She paused when she raised her eyes to the man's cherubic face and felt her face flush, "Um, in a long time."

Holding her breath, she jerked her hand out, shakily handed him the glittery artwork and butterfly they had made today. "I'm Sango." She swallowed, smiling for a moment and handed Ayame the girl's belongings.

"Higurashi Miroku." The man bowed, being kind enough to ignore her crush. She was a pretty thing, though. He mused for a moment before clapping his hands together and scooping up his child.

The woman nodded and bit her lip as she walked away to the back, mentally cursing herself for being so dumb. She could barely register why she had been so obvious. Sighing, she heard the door chime as they exited and found Ayame and Shippo eating carrots at the desk.

"You are going to have to watch it, Missy." Ayame teased, playfully fighting the little boy for the last dip of dressing.

"I can't believe I did that. I'm pretty hopeless if I'm going after married men, now." Sango whispered, trying to prevent Shippo from hearing it. He was too busy crunching on his carrot to pay attention and hoped down when he saw his mother from the window.

"Well, you need to understand that he lost his wife a few months and he's a very nice man from what Koga said." Ayame replied delicately, grabbing Shippo's coat as the woman came and bundled up her son and waved cheerifully.

When they left, Sango let her face fall flat on the desk and she sighed inwardly. "Ugh. Hopefully, I won't be a pest. I love Mayu, though. She's a firecracker for sure. I got an invitation to be the maid of honor at her wedding, what did you get?" She said changing the subject.

Ayame glared for a moment and let her lower lip stick out. "I got a snot napkin."

Sango laughed softly and hugged the woman. They chitchatted and cleaned up the remaining toys and waited for Eri to come and take over the stragglers that would come in for the evening. When she did, they disperesed into the dwindling wave of the rush.

This was genuinely her favorite part of the day. She always stopped at the same noodle cart, close to her small apartment complex; more like a brick building with five units, standing in an alley. The smiling children and the things that they said kept her going on more days than not, and today had been special. Mayu, in particular, had made her heart pull for her.

As she walked down the rocky street, she buried her nose in her scarf, eyes drifting to the familiar stone embellishments of a local fish market. She felt terribly after they started making their butterflies. The children all wrote a letter to their mothers, save for the little girl, who wrote it for her father. Mayu had looked up at her with those large, shimmering eyes and asked her if it was okay since her mother was sleeping beneath the tree at their home.

Sango had been floored and assured her it was fine. Her mother would have been very pleased that she had thought enough of her father to make him such a beautiful gift. As the woman pulled the keys from her bag, she walked into her nearly bare apartment and sat her food on the counter, waiting for her new kitten to greet her.

Picking up the tabby, she stroked her gently, looking at the photos on the fridge. Beneath the jovial magnets, there were pictures of her own mother when she was well and alive. A frown tugged at her lips as she saw one of the four of them; mother, father, son and daughter.

Her father wasn't in the best health due to his rough life as a fisherman, and her brother was just finishing high school. That emptiness that Mayu felt was something she was familiar with and it made her sigh as she sat Kirara down next to her food bowl.

She was lonely. Very lonely. It had been sheer luck she received the job at the daycare and it was a wholesome place that filled her heart in the places that weren't quite healed. Mayu's father must have had his hands full. A blush hit her cheeks as she hunkered down at her card-table in the living room. She flipped on the television, only to ignore it and pick at her noodles.

Kirara came and sat with her, stealing a few morsels of pork. "I think there are enough lonely hearts in Tokyo to make a giant hole in the ground." Sango whispered, feeling the furnace kick on with a growl.

Her thoughts drifted back to the man's face, work-worn and so exhausted. He seemed like a gentle man and that Mayu was lucky have someone who obviously loved her. The last person that had _loved her _was abusive and it had taken years to get out of that mess.

She still dealt with the reprocussions, but over time the physical and emotional scarring diminished and she was able to move on enough to survive.

Shaking her head, Sango laid back on the couch, pulling a knitted blanket over her brittle legs and tried to warm up. Maybe tomorrow she would be able to be happy again and make some rainbow volcanos with the kids.

They always liked making things explode, she thought tiredly, rubbing her eyes. A cold sleep gripped her and made her unable to move, and she relented to its grasp.

Kirara sat curled around her shoulders, purring softly in her ear. The rest of the night, as many were, flittered away and left reminders of how deeply those scars ran.

**x-x-x**

In the old Higurashi household, Miroku poked at a small fire and dressed Mayu in her pajamas. When he had picked her up, she babbled on and on and on. It had been nice to see her so content and it made his heart lighten at the sparkle in her eyes. If there was any joy left in him, she brought it out in that moment.

He'd taken her out for dinner, like he'd promised himself, and took her to the pet shop. He had to carry her and look at every living creature until she found a black toy poodle whimpering against the glass. It was obviously the runt and those little black eyes cried for her, and he'd easily given in to buying her Hachi-san, as she named him.

The pup was scampering around the wooden floor, chewing on his new chew toy, jingling softly. Mayu kept holding out her hand for him to come, but he romped around her father instead. As obnoxious as the thing was, Miroku fell in love immediately.

Kaguya would have never let either one of them hold the damn thing, he mused quietly. Brushing his knuckles over the squeaky thing's head. "So, are you gonna tell everyone about Hachi-san tomorrow?"

Mayu took her cup of juice and nodded quickly. "Yaya is going to love him! Can I take him with me?" She asked, eyes all hopeful.

Miroku shook his head and she recoiled, scowling with her arms crossed. "Miss Sango has a kitty, maybe they could play together. She's a princess, daddy." The girl rambled, feeling him pull her hair with the soft bristles of a brush. "Like in my story books Mama read me."

"Really?" He asked, remembering the way she had stumbled about her words. "She is very pretty, my dear. Mama always told me you were a princess, too." He said sadly, trying to enjoy the simplicity of this one fleeting moment.

As he continued their restless routine, he cradled the girl against his chest and lulled her to sleep before putting her to bed, along with the new addition to their little family. The dog whined when he went to bed, so he left the door cracked just in case. Hopefully, as he laid down in the arms of the futon, he could have a brighter day tomorrow. His best friend was supposed to be back and that would at least keep him entertained.

Sighing, he rolled over and let his thoughts steal his sleeplessness, pulling him into a forgetful slumber.


End file.
